There are several reasons for the wave of health-related products hitting the market.

“Smartphone penetration is so high that more consumers are seeing the value in connecting devices. Data isn’t just lost in the device—they can now track and share information,” said Jennifer Kent, a research analyst at Dallas-based Parks Associates, adding that the ability to connect devices to the cloud or an app removes some of the human error in tracking things like glucose levels or blood pressure.

Add to that a generally health-conscious population of baby boomers that is turning 65 at the rate of 10,000 a day, and you have a market with excellent potential. Boomers also have money and will control 70 percent of U.S. disposable income in the next five years.

“Digital health is one of the fastest growing and highest margin categories that exists in the market today,” said Philippe Schwartz, senior vice president and general manager of Withings U.S., a newly established division of Paris-based Withings, which has been selling digital health and fitness products since 2008. Parks Associates forecasts that 4.3 million consumers will use Internet-connected vital-sign monitoring devices by 2016, for projected revenues of $1.5 billion.

From the article, "The Digital Health Revolution," by Bob Ankosko. 

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